With increasing age the skin has a growing imbalance between the build-up and degradation of collagen, one of the main constituents of the dermis, towards the degradation. This is inter alia due to a low rate of newly synthesized collagen and an increased activity of collagen-degrading enzymes, such as collagenase MMP-1. Moreover, the capability of the skin for regeneration decreases with increasing age. Thus, mature skin, in particular, if it is exposed to adverse ambient influences such as pressure, lacking aeration or moisture, needs special care. Such adverse influences often occur with physical malfunctions, such as incontinence.
The products according to the invention above all provide people with barrier-damaged skin with a protecting and caring effect. The need for such products is in particular with so-called aging skin.
The concept of aging skin, i.e. the visible aging of the skin from the age of 50, in particular from the age of 65, is recognized by those in the art. It is understood to include both the natural, i.e. genetically programmed, so-called intrinsic aging or time aging, and the so-called extrinsic aging or light aging as a result of physical, chemical, and microbiological noxae. Skin aging is accompanied by a structural reduction of the skin, i.e. in all layers the skin becomes thinner and poorer in cells and function-bearing structures. Therefore, the barrier function of the skin is partially lost, see Hautkrankheiten und Hautpflege im Alter, O. P. Hornstein, Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart, 2002.
Symptoms of aging skin are dry skin, refractory itching conditional on the dry skin (Norman R A. Geriatric dermatology. Dermatol Ther. 2003; 16:260-8) or also independently thereof, creases and pigment spots. Particularly, the dryness of the skin (xerosis) can lead to intensive pruritus (Norman R A. Xerosis and pruritus in the elderly: recognition and management. Dermatol Ther. 2003; 16:254-9) and, in particular cases can be perceived as sensitive skin. Recent works suggest that dry skin is associated with mutations in the filaggrin gen (Sergeant et al., Heterozygous null alleles in filaggrin contribute to clinical dry skin in young adults and the elderly. J Invest Dermatol. 2009 129:1042-5). In turn, filaggrin mutations have been associated with the Natural Moisturizing Factor, NMF (Kezic et al., Natural moisturizing factor components in the stratum corneum as biomarkers of filaggrin genotype: evaluation of minimally invasive methods. Br J Dermatol. 2009 161:1098-104) and may well explain dry skin and the accompanied barrier disruption. NMF is degraded by the degradation of filaggrin into amino acids that inter alia are further degraded into 2-pyrrolidone-5-carboxylic acid (PCA) and urocanic acid (UCA) in the corneum. If the aminogram of profilaggrin (NCBI Reference Sequence: NP_002007.1) is considered from which filaggrin is generated by proteolysis in the uppermost skin layers, specific differences over human serum albumin (NCBI Reference Sequence: NP_000468.1) in the relative distribution of the amino acids contained therein stand out. NMF, but also amino acids, are reduced by washing procedures or occlusion and are newly formed in the recovery phase (Robinson et al., Natural moisturizing factors (NMF) in the stratum corneum (SC). I. Effects of lipid extraction and soaking. J Cosmet Sci. 2010 61:13-22. Robinson et al., Natural moisturizing factors (NMF) in the stratum corneum (SC). II. Regeneration of NMF over time after soaking. J Cosmet Sci. 2010 61:23-9. Visscher et al., Regional variation in the free amino acids in the stratum corneum. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2010 61:303-9. Visscher et al., Stratum corneum free amino acids following barrier perturbation and repair. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2011 33:80-9).
DE 10 2007 031 452 discloses moisturizing cosmetic and dermatologic compositions with a combination of various enhancers that markedly improve the effect of conventional humectants from the outside for the treatment of dry skin. Moreover, this publication lists an almost immense amount of different additional additives.
US 2008/0193393 discloses an administration system for topically applied components, wherein this system obligatorily contains a fatty acid, a phospholipid, and an oil in a specific ratio of weight percentages to one another.
US 2008/0268077 discloses a method for enhancing the barrier function of damaged skin wherein a mixture of a ceramide and/or a pseudo-ceramide together with an active ingredient effective against skin irritations, such as bisabolol, panthenol, ginger extracts, and mixtures thereof, is to be used.
US 2010/0286102 describes cosmetic or pharmaceutical formulations for skin or hair that contain one or more ceramides and/or pseudo-ceramides and (alpha-)bisabolol.
Ghadially et al., The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Inc. (1995), p. 2281-2290, describe the barrier function of the human skin. With increasing age human skin becomes more problematic in comparison to the young skin in view of the regeneration of the barrier function after irritations. This is shown in a provocation of the skin with a solvent (acetone) as well as in mechanical irritations (adhesive strip test).
Against this background, skin care in old age, in particular skin care of immobile and/or people suffering from urinary and/or fecal incontinence and/or decubitus and other wound diseases represents a particular challenge.